Malaysia
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · The death penalty is provided for by various laws
- News items in the archive
- 972
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Malaysia is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 972 news items on Malaysia, from 1999 to today.
In Malaysia the death penalty was mandatory for certain offences, among them drug trafficking. A reform in 2023 abolished that mandatory character and opened the review of sentences already handed down, many of which have been commuted. The method is hanging.
The archive follows the reform, the reviews and the cases still open.
Latest news
JULY 17, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: MALAYSIAN ESCAPES GALLOWS AFTER SINGAPORE LAW REFORM
A Malaysian convict has become the first person in Singapore to have a mandatory death
- JULY 2, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
a single mother from Thailand was sentenced to death
a single mother from Thailand was sentenced to death
- JUNE 20, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
the High Court in Kelantan sentenced three friends to
the High Court in Kelantan sentenced three friends to
JUNE 14, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: HANDICAPPED MAN SENT TO THE GALLOWS FOR MURDER
Handicapped Fong Chee Peng, 50, was sentenced to death by hanging by the High Court
JUNE 14, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: NIGERIAN MAN TO HANG FOR DRUG-TRAFFICKING
A Nigerian man was sentenced to death by hanging by the High Court in Malaysia after being
JUNE 10, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: MAINTENANCE WORKER TO HANG FOR MURDER
A 28-year-old maintenance worker was sentenced to death by the High Court in Malaysia
- MAY 30, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: MOROCCAN MAN GETS DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A Morrocan man was sentenced to death by the High Court in Malaysia for trafficking in
MAY 23, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: FOUR SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF COSMETICS QUEEN SOSILAWATI
Four men accused in the murder of cosmetics businesswoman Sosilawati Lawiya and three
- APRIL 28, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
two friends were sentenced to death by the Malaysian High Court for trafficking
two friends were sentenced to death by the Malaysian High Court for trafficking
APRIL 20, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: SUPREME COURT SENTENCES MALAYSIAN DRUG TRAFFICKER TO DEATH
The Indonesian Supreme Court sentenced a Malaysian national to death for the possession of
- APRIL 11, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
a Swedish bar operator was sentenced to death
a Swedish bar operator was sentenced to death
- MARCH 29, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: IRANIAN SISTERS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Two Iranian sisters were sentenced to death by the High Court in Malaysia for trafficking
- MARCH 28, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the Federal Court in Malaysia uphold the conviction and death sentence on a female Indian national
the Federal Court in Malaysia uphold the conviction and death sentence on a female Indian national
- MARCH 27, 2013JapanDEATH PENALTY
a Malaysian court of appeal upheld the death penalty...
a Malaysian court of appeal upheld the death penalty...
MARCH 15, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: GARDENER GETS DEATH FOR MURDER
A gardener was sentenced to death by the High Court in Malaysia for murdering an Indian national
- FEBRUARY 16, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: JOBLESS MAN TO HANG FOR MURDER ONFIVE-FOOT WAY
An unemployed man has been sentenced to death by a High Court in Malaysia which found
FEBRUARY 13, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: EX-CHEF ESCAPED HANGMAN'S NOOSE
A former chef escaped the hangman's noose for drug trafficking today after the Federal Court set
FEBRUARY 8, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DRUGS TRAFFICKER SENTENCED TO DEATH
The High Court in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, sentenced a businessman to death for
- JANUARY 30, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
the Malaysian High Court handed the death penalty
the Malaysian High Court handed the death penalty
JANUARY 22, 2013NigeriaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: NIGERIAN STUDENT SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
In Malaysia, a Nigerian man was sentenced to death by hanging by the High Court today after
JANUARY 9, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: INDONESIAN WOMAN TO HANG FOR TRAFFICKING IN DRUGS
An Indonesian woman was sentenced to death by the Shah Alam High Court in Malaysia for
- JANUARY 7, 2013ThailandDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: TWO FISHERMEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TRAFFICKING IN CANNABIS
Two fishermen, one of them a Thai national, were sentenced to death by the High Court
- JANUARY 1, 2013MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
In Malaysia capital crimes include murder...
In Malaysia capital crimes include murder...
DECEMBER 25, 2012MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: SECURITY GUARD SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING GIRL
In Malaysia, the High Court sentenced a security guard to death after finding him guilty
DECEMBER 15, 2012MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: COURT REPLACES BULGARIANS' DEATH SENTENCE WITH LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE
The court in Malaysia cancelled the death sentence on Bulgarians Georgi Bakalov and
DECEMBER 13, 2012MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: TWO IRANIAN DRUG TRAFFICKERS GETS DEATH SENTENCE
Two Iranian men were sentenced to death by the High Court in the State of Selangor
DECEMBER 12, 2012MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYEU ENVOY: MALAYSIA MOVING TOWARDS ABOLITION OF DEATH SENTENCE
Malaysia has seen positive developments in the move towards abolishing the death penalty
- DECEMBER 11, 2012MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
a man who killed his parents was sentenced to death
a man who killed his parents was sentenced to death
- DECEMBER 9, 2012NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA: NIGERIAN MAN GETS THE GALLOWS FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A Nigerian car spare parts salesman was sentenced to death by the High Court in Malaysia for
- DECEMBER 6, 2012MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
two men were sentenced to death by the High Court, in Malaysia...
two men were sentenced to death by the High Court, in Malaysia...